Will it ever be NOchunkymonkies?

We have been 2chunkymonkies for quite some time. It's down to Becca and me. Bec has an excuse- Equine Metabolic Syndrome. She spends 24 hours in a small pen (~100 x 200ft). There is minimal grass and she eats hay and a low starch pellet specially designed for this disease. She is much more comfortable and the risk of founder is much decreased. As a result, she has lost a few pounds but is still much too heavy. Her shoulder and back injury from her accident is managed but prevents much exercise. We'll stick with this plan as long as she is comfortable.

That leaves me. I love food. And I love cooking. I love a good drink in the evening. All this adds up to an extremely high calorie diet, often more than 3500 calories a day. All these good times have packed on lots of pounds. For a long time my opinion was that good living was worth it. And thankfully, I carry my weight well. But, I went overboard. I started cutting back when it was convenient. I have NO willpower. It didn't work. I love food. I keep saying that. I love it. This past summer I started using restraunts as my social time. Almost every day I ate out with a friend. Good times. And now my clothes don't fit. I'm uncomfortable in my skin. I just don't fit. It's time to make a change.

I have a friend who is on a "health plan" that is very successful. She looks great. I'm finally at the point where I have to really put effort into doing something. So, last week I began Medifast. I feel very bad about tempting this friend with food all last summer. I do not have to give up meals with everyone. I do have to order a healthy salad. There will be no more cheeseburgers and chicken fried steak without guilt. It helps that half of my food buddies are now on this diet. I'm sorry, "health plan". Yeah right. It's a diet and the meals are snacks.

The plan calls for a meal every 3 hours with 5 of those being prepackaged powdered "meals". They are suprisingly very good and filling. Once a day you get a Lean and Green meal of fresh food- a good portion of lean meat with 3 portions of lean veggies. Since you eat every 3 hours and drink large amounts of water you do not ever get really hungry. My stomach tells me when 3 hours is up but I can say I'm no more hungry than before. The big difference is calorie intake. I'm down to 800-900 calories a day with limited carbs. I feel good. I'm 5'7" tall and 187lbs. This is the worst I have ever been. I weigh in every Tuesday. I'm not supposed to weigh myself constantly. I have not cheated with food but I have cheated on the scale. I started this diet 5 days ago. I've lost 6 pounds. The weight loss will slow down very soon. The program claims 2-5 pounds lost the first week with 1-2 pounds loss every week after that. I can do this. I hope to lose enough that my butt fits into my western saddle again. I like that saddle. Instead of replacing it with an enormous saddle I am going to spend the money and get me healthy.

My life is blessed.

Luck Turn

With horses it is always something. It doesn't matter how many you have, there will always be times when there is not one that is rideable. Priss is doing very well. She is pasture sound and happily cranky. Becca is improving but I really think she fractured her spine in that fall way back. I fear she is a beautiful pasture ornament along with Prissy.

This week the farrier put front shoes on Diesel. He thinks our lameness is leg related. He said there are mild navicular changes on the outside and that this is fairly normal in a very large horse. This is not really good news. We are not dealing with just tenderfootedness. To add insult to injury, we get to add an injury this evening. Diesel's hind legs are stocked up quite severely. There is not external sign of trauma. His legs are hot. So tonight he got the works- lengthy hydro-ing, bute, and a DMSO sweat. We'll see how it looks tomorrow. I think this will pass quickly. And I think he will still be lame on his front end. I'm ready for my luck to turn.

Regardless, my life is blessed.

Long Time...

This summer I have made major progress. I got tons of fencework done. I have 4 pastures with lovely horse safe fence. I have plans to do more. Of course! I plan to run water lines and add a wash rack later this year. And I plan to finish the last 1700 feet of fencing.

Riding has been sporadic. I have come to terms with the loss of riding Prissy. I have come to terms with the loss of riding Becca. That was hard to say. I've lost my two favorite mounts. Priss is very comfortably pasture sound. She only requires restriction when it is muddy. Becca's metabolic syndrome is managed by keeping her in a dry lot with only hay and starch controlled feed. She is much more comfortable. There is no turnout in her future. Her shoulder injury is tempermental but managed. Stretching for a trim is tough but otherwise she, too, is pasture sound.

Diesel lives alone in the main pasture. He is lonely. He grooms Bec over the fence in the mornings. They love each other. Priss loves him, too but she doesn't have the patience to stand there for lovin. She's not the sentimental sort. I've ridden Diesel several times lately. He is confused and lazy with a little pain thrown in for fun. His cut on the heel of his right foreleg is still not healed completely. And he's sore on his left foreleg from the mystery injury. And he's tenderfooted. I've given him time off and he gets shoes on the front this week. I hope this gives him some relief. I am itching to ride, baby ride.

And the biggest news...instead of buying a bigger western saddle I plan to shrink my butt. My diet starts next Tuesday or Wednesday. I signed up for Medifast. I've never dieted before but I've got the support of great friends and a tough coach. I want to feel pretty. I'm ready for this. Wish me luck, say a prayer!

My life is blessed.